Binghamton, Hofstra Among the Four Teams Joining the EIWA Conference

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On Thursday, the EIWA officially announced the addition of four new members, bringing the conference total to 18 schools.  Among those joining for the 2013-14 campaign are a pair of New York institutions – Binghamton and Hofstra – as well as Drexel and Boston.

The four new additions will compete with seven-time defending tournament champion Cornell as well as other EIWA member schools American, Army, Brown, Bucknell, Columbia, Franklin & Marshall, Harvard, Lehigh, Navy, Penn, Princeton, Rutgers and Sacred Heart.

The EIWA championships will be hosted by Penn in Philadelphia in March of 2014.

For the official press release from Binghamton, see here.

For the official press release from Hofstra, see here.

 

No Time to Waste: Michael Hughes Looks to Keep Winning (and Pinning) at Hofstra

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About 50 minutes.  That’s the total time future Hofstra heavyweight Michael Hughes spent on the mat this year on his way to an undefeated campaign and a state championship for Smithtown West.

That’s an average of less than a minute and a half per match (for his 34 bouts, excluding forfeits).  Not too surprising since he wrestled into the second period only six times all season.

“I expected to be really dominant this year,” Hughes said. “After training with the partners my coaches brought in for me, who are bigger than me and tossed me around, it was so much easier in the matches.  I went on the mat thinking there would be no fooling around.  No matter who I was wrestling or how good they were, I wanted to end it as quickly as possible and show everyone I was the best.”

Photo by BV

The best in Section 11?  He demonstrated that with an exclamation point.  It took him less than two and a half minutes to pin his four Suffolk tournament opponents to capture his second straight Sectional title and punch his ticket back to the Times Union Center.

“I guess I was a little surprised at how fast it was,” Hughes said. “I think I was expecting it to take a little bit longer — but not too much longer. When I got after people, they couldn’t stay with me.  I went all out.”

And that’s exactly what he planned to do in his last chance in Albany as well.  As a junior, he took sixth at the state tournament.  In 2013, he was determined to show that he was #1 in the Empire State despite entering as the number four seed.

“I definitely couldn’t wait to go back [to the state tournament],” he said. “I lost my last two matches there as a junior. It was a tough way to finish. I knew that wasn’t who I was as a wrestler.  It made me step up my training. I think taking sixth actually helped me.”

It may have done that, because the road to a title had a number of potential roadblocks, including foes such as 2012 state runner up El Shaddai Van Hoesen of Columbia and Seaford’s James O’Hagan, the only wrestler to go the full six minutes with Hughes prior to the postseason (in a 4-0 Hughes victory).

“After looking at the bracket, I knew I had the tougher half,” Hughes said. “Last year, I had four of the six placers on my side and the same thing happened this year.  I knew I would have a tough match in the semis [which wound up being a 1-0 decision over O’Hagan], but I was confident about the finals.  I told the coaches that when I made the finals I would pin the kid no matter what.”

His prediction came true as he earned the fall against Spencerport’s Austin Coleman in just two and a half minutes.  And he didn’t just accomplish his mission to win it all.  He made some history as well, becoming Smithtown West’s first-ever state champion.

“I thought it was really cool,” Hughes said. “Knowing all the good wrestlers that came from Smithtown before and watching a lot of them when I was growing up, it was great to get the title for myself and for the school.”

The victories kept coming for Hughes.  He pinned Eric Chakonis in the decisive bout of the Pinning Down Autism Charity Challenge to ensure New York’s third straight dual victory over rival New Jersey.  And a few weeks later, he rebounded from an early 4-1 deficit against the previously mentioned Van Hoesen with a late third period takedown to win 5-4 in the Long Island vs. Upstate Challenge, which eventually ended in a tie.

And he still wasn’t done.  Hughes said he wanted to make his mark on the national level and he checked that off the list as well as he made the trip to Virginia Beach to compete at the NHSCA Senior Nationals.

“I wanted to go down and compete against the best in the country to see how I would do,” he said. “I had no clue who anyone was or how good they were. I just thought if I wrestled hard, I could compete with anyone.  My goal at first was to be an All-American.”

He did more than that, going all the way to the championship contest before finishing as the runner up to Will Geary of Kansas.

“Making it to the finals was great.  I couldn’t be any happier,” Hughes said.  “I wish I won the last one, but second place was really great.”

It also spoke to the potential of the three-sport athlete who will fully focus on wrestling in the future after splitting his attention among football, wrestling and track in the past.

“For me, at the start of my senior year, I was trying to figure out what the best fit would be in college,” Hughes said. “I was torn between football and wrestling for a while, but in February, I decided.  I realized then that I didn’t have to ask myself which one I preferred anymore, I just knew that I wanted to wrestle.”

He’ll do that for the Pride after also considering Buffalo, Bloomsburg, Ohio and Sacred Heart.

“I wanted to stay close to home,” Hughes explained. “Hofstra has a great wrestling program and I loved the coaches. They have great personalities and are motivated to push the wrestlers to be the best they can.”

Hughes looks forward to the challenge and said he may add some size as he transitions to being a heavyweight at the college level.  However, he emphasized the importance of maintaining his quickness.  And he expects some other things to stay the same as well.

“I like when things come down to me,” he said. “I don’t want to settle for close matches, I want to keep ending them as quickly as possible.”

 ———————————————————

Mike Hughes had a few people he wanted to thank:  “I want to thank my coaches for everything they’ve done for me, especially bringing people in to work with me and spending time after practice just working on the little things that made a difference.  I also want to thank all my friends and family for coming to watch me and supporting me. It was always a great feeling seeing they were there.”

**All match times taken from the NWCA High School Scorebook

 

'Back from Hiatus': Dylan Palacio Rebounds from Injuries to Win National Title

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In the third period of his 74 kg (163 pound) semifinals match at the FILA Junior Freestyle National Championships, Dylan Palacio fell behind 3-1 against Patrick Rhodes of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. And he heard a voice screaming out of the Iowa corner.

“Tom Brands was yelling to his guy talking about me, saying, ‘he’s broke, he’s broke,’” Palacio said. “It was gut check time. I just went after it. You can’t believe for a second that you’ll lose.”

Photo by BV

Palacio started to rack up points, including a takedown with just a few seconds left to seal a 6-3 win in the final stanza and a trip to the title bout.

“After the match, I shook [Brands’s] hand and said, ‘I don’t ever break,’” Palacio recalled.

He certainly didn’t over the weekend.

In the championship, Palacio was matched up against Bison Wrestling Club’s Matthew Gray, in a rematch of the 160 pound third place bout at the Junior National Freestyle Championships last summer in North Dakota. Gray won that one in straight periods.

“He worked me last year at Fargo. He beat me up,” Palacio said.

Gray began strong again, taking the first period by a 3-0 score. But Palacio said he felt this time would be different.

“I wasn’t worried, I had a big smile on my face,” he said. “I knew who he was and was actually okay with my first period because I was feeling him out and figuring out what I needed to do the rest of the match. I knew I could make the adjustments – heavy on the head, more attacks, especially single legs. It paid off.”

In the middle stanza, Gray struck first with a takedown, but Palacio tied it up with about 1:30 left, to take the 1-1 “lead”. Gray came at Palacio with a significant charge, looking to move ahead with a pushout, however the former Long Beach star somehow found a way to stay in bounds to win the period.

“It was like a 360 tiptoe move,” Palacio said. “That’s just all heart right there. I think in retrospect, that’s why I won. Not giving up and circling on that line. He used all his energy for the push and in a way, that was the match.”

Palacio used a takedown and a two-point exposure to go ahead 3-0 in the third and when time expired, he had a 4-2 victory and a national title.

It was a stark contrast to where the former Section 8 standout was in February.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “Not that long ago, I was on a medical table at Edinboro with a torn MCL. I was hurt a lot this year and I was feeling frustrated and skeptical about my future. I won’t forget the people who encouraged me and believed, because without them, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Palacio acknowledged that his run over the weekend may be a surprise to some, because of the limited tournament action he saw with the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club over the past year. (He said he took part in less than 10 official bouts).  But he added that people didn’t know what he was doing behind the scenes.

“You don’t need to wrestle 100 matches to get better,” he said. “I may not have wrestled a lot of matches, but I was lifting and improving a lot in practice. And I was wrestling the way I wanted to – calm, not crazy, not sloppy. I was moving well, working my scores. And now I’m healthier. I’m back from hiatus.”

He’s back for a lot of reasons, but he pointed to some people he said were essential.

“I hit the lottery having Cam Simaz and Frankie Perrelli in my corner,” he said of his coaches at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club. “They complement each other so well as and they helped me go in the right direction. I didn’t really know how to wrestle when I got to Ithaca, I hadn’t lifted weights, there were a lot of things I didn’t know. But they saw the potential and never gave up on me.”

So immediately after his hand was raised on Saturday, Palacio said he ran off the mat and hugged Perrelli and Simaz and the other supporters in attendance. And he pointed up at the sky to acknowledge another inspiration.

“It was my best friend’s birthday about a week ago,” he said. “He passed away a few years ago. I believe he watches over me and I won this for him. The plaque I won is his birthday present. I’ll bring it to his memorial when I get home.”

There are lots of things for Palacio to do when he gets back to the East Coast. He said he knows he has a lot to learn from his coaches. And he said he “can always learn something from Kyle [Dake]– whether it’s lifting, running, drilling or just how to act. I’m willing to admit that’s who I want to be like.”

The Long Island native said he can’t wait to start his freshman year at Cornell and has visualized being announced as a starter for the Big Red at the Friedman Center for the first time. (He has his entrance song all picked out).

While there’s still plenty to demonstrate before getting to that point, Palacio feels like he’s now on his way.

“From where I was a month ago to now — things can change so quickly,” he said. “It feels so good to be a national champion but I’ll keep going. The goal is to be an NCAA champ. This is just a stepping stone.”

Six New Yorkers Win Titles, Over 40 Place at the Ohio Tournament of Champions

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2013 New York state champion Yianni Diakomihalis is very familiar with the top of the podium at the Ohio Tournament of Champions, advertised as the “largest one-day tournament in the world.”

For the third consecutive year, the Hilton standout won a championship at the prestigious event, this time at 110 pounds in the Schoolboy division. The G2 World Wrestling Academy representative was also third in 2010 and second the year before.

But he did more than go undefeated himself.

Diakomihalis, Photo by BV

“Yianni relishes in the experience,” said G2 owner/coach Adam Burgos. “He was running around, keeping track of all our guys. He was doing everything; he’s like a machine. He coached a lot of the kids and then he and his dad coached one of our coaches to a title.”

Burgos was referring to former Spencerport standout and current G2 staff member Mike Collura, who captured first place in the Open Division at 165 pounds with an overtime takedown. According to Burgos, Diakhomihalis and his father manned Collura’s corner during his title bout.

“Mike has been a huge asset to G2 this year, we’re really glad to have him,” Burgos said. “He’s helped out immensely with the kids. He got the itch to compete himself and when he decided to do it, he attacked it. His championship really capped off the weekend for us.”

But Diakomihalis and Collura weren’t alone in bringing gold medals back to the Empire State. A pair of wrestlers from Cobra Wrestling Academy, Dane Heberlein (Cadet 92 pounds) and Nick Jones (Schoolboy 240 pounds), also won their brackets on Saturday.

“Nick [Jones] pretty much always has to go up an age group to compete at tournaments because he’s an eighth grade heavyweight,” said Cobra Wrestling Academy Executive Director Keith Maute.  “He usually has to wrestle against older guys, but this tournament had a solid group of kids for him to compete against and he did very well.”

Heberlein has a bit of experience at the tournament, having placed four times since 2006, including several top four showings. However, it was the first time he won it all.

“It was exciting for Dane because out of all the big tournaments, this is the only one he never won,” Maute said.

Heberlein wasn’t the only New York winner in the Cadet division. In fact, at just one weight class higher, the Empire State boasted another champion – New Hartford’s Kelan McKenna. The 2013 All-State grappler from Section 3 won his second Ohio T of C title in three years, as he earned first place in 2011 and was second at 92 pounds last April.

Another wrestler with some prior history in Columbus is Slate Hill’s Ethan Gallo. A year ago, he grabbed seventh place in the Bantam 80 pound class. Over the weekend he once again entered at that weight and this time, he went all the way to the top, adding another line to his lengthy spring resume. Among his recent accomplishments are capturing titles at the NYWAY State Championships, the Empire Nationals and the Gene Mills Eastern Nationals.

Haas, Photo by BV

Another 13 wrestlers from New York lost just a single bout on Saturday, finishing in the top 3. Those include G2’s Frankie Gissendanner of Penfield at 140 pounds, a champion at this tournament the past two seasons., who was edged 1-0 in the title bout when a penalty point was awarded to his opponent late in the match, according to Burgos.

Gissendanner was one of several state qualifiers who made the finals this weekend in Ohio, along with Spencerport’s Jon Haas (who took third in Albany) and Andrew Shomers of Lewiston Porter. Fellow Section 6 wrestler Hector Colom of Dunkirk also took runner up honors after winning at 90 pounds in 2012.

In addition, a trio of Bantam grapplers, Andrew Filip of New Hampton, Kevin Daskavitz of Lockport and Herman Wooten of Niagara Falls, all went to the finals in their brackets.

In all, New York had over 40 placers at the event, which drew around 3000 wrestlers from all over the country and featured 40 full sized mats of competition.

For the full list of all the top 8 medalists from the Empire State, see below.

With any further additions or changes, please comment below.

Champions
Ethan Gallo, Bantam 80 (Slate Hill)
Yianni Diakomihalis, Schoolboy 110 (Rochester)
Nick Jones, Schoolboy 240 (Dunkirk)
Dane Heberlein, Cadet 92 (Darien)
Kelan McKenna, Cadet 100 (New Hartford)
Mike Collura, Open 165 (West Henrietta)

Second Place

Andrew Filip, Bantam 65 (New Hampton)
Kevin Daskavitz, Bantam 80 (Lockport)
Herman Wooten III, Bantam 95 (Niagara Falls)
Hector Colom, Schoolboy 100 (Dunkirk)
Frankie Gissendanner, Schoolboy 140 (Rochester)
Andrew Shomers, Cadet 135 (Ransomville)
Jon Haas, Elite 112 (Spencerport)

Third Place

Jaden Crumpler, Bantam 45 (Niagara Falls)
Carson Alberti, Midget 60 (East Aurora)
Cooper Kropman, Midget 85 (Rochester)
Benny Baker, Junior 90 (Newark Valley)
Joe Lupisella, Cadet 160 (Webster)
Dennis Ferro, Elite 153 (Great River)

Fourth Place

Jayden Scott, Midget 68 (West Henrietta)
Max Kropman, Junior 72 (Rochester)
Tyler Barnes, Schoolboy 126 (Rock City Falls)
Trevor Hoffmier, Elite 160 (Newark Valley)

Fifth Place

Connor Day, Schoolboy 96 (Elma)
Drew Schafer, Cadet 85 (Marion)
Tito Colom, Cadet 110 (Dunkirk)
Jimmy Leach, Elite 132 (Manorville)

Sixth Place

Caleb Galloway, Midget 76 (Hornell)
Joseph Dixon, Midget 80 (Niagara Falls)
Jace Schafer, Junior 56 (Marion)
Jake Brewer, Cadet 85 (Orchard Park)
Carm O’Donnell, Elite 153 (Angola)

Seventh Place

Colin Bradshaw, Midget 52 (Liverpool)
Greg Diakomihalis, Junior 64 (Rochester)

Tony Kuhn, Open 220 (Sanborn)

Eighth Place

JJ Lucinski , Bantam 40 (Lockport)
Sam Wolf, Junior 90 (Warsaw)
Keagen Case, Junior 95 (Boonville)
Tyler Castro, Junior 125 (Otisville)
Troy Keller, Cadet 100 (North Tonawanda)
Theo Powers, Cadet 105 (Mexico)
Travis Race, Cadet 171 (Fulton)
Collin Pittman, Elite 190 (Spencerport)
Henry Beaman, Open 135 (Niagara Falls)

What Happened in Vegas: US Open Recap for NY, Including Runner Up Finish for Perrelli

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Many of the nation’s top wrestlers descended upon Las Vegas this weekend for the U.S. Open. New York wrestlers certainly made an impact, with placers in both the men’s and women’s freestyle and Greco Roman competitions. In addition, the Empire State had success in the FILA Juniors tournaments that also took place in the same location. (For more on the Juniors competition, see here.)

Perrelli, Photo by BV

Going all the way to the finals was former Cornell All-American Frank Perrelli at 55 kg. Perrelli entered the event as the #7 seed, but won his first three bouts over Britain Longmire, Zach Sanders and Ben Kjar to earn his spot in the championship contest. In that match, top seeded Obe Blanc came out on top.

Also making the podium in freestyle were a number of coaches with ties to New York. At 66 kg, Columbia assistant Adam Hall took fourth while American assistant Kyle Borshoff (a former Section 5 star) grabbed seventh. In that same bracket, Army graduate Philip Simpson was sixth.

In addition, a pair of coaches notched seventh place (Hofstra’s Dan Vallimont at 74 kg and Army’s Enock Francois at 84 kg) while Duanesburg High School graduate (and current North Carolina State grappler) Nick Gwiazdowski was also seventh, at 120 kg.

In Greco, a pair of former New York high schoolers – Dmitry Riabchinsky of New Utrecht and Jason Chudzinski of Colonie – placed in the lightweights. Riabchinsky was fifth at 55 kg while Chudzinski took eighth at 60. Meanwhile, Army graduate Jon Anderson picked up bronze at 74 kg.

In women’s action, Carlene Sluberski recorded a third place finish at 51 kg while Jenna Burkert was fourth at 59. Joining them on the medal stand was Mary Westman, who was sixth at 72.

 

U.S. Open

Men’s Freestyle

55 kg: Frank Perrelli (NYAC/FLWC, Cornell graduate) – 2nd place

66 kg: Adam Hall (NYAC, Columbia assistant coach) – 4th place

66 kg: Philip Simpson (Army WCAP, Army graduate) – 6th place

66 kg: Kyle Borshoff (DCAC, Pittsford) – 7th place

74 kg: Dan Vallimont (Blue & Gold WC, Hofstra assistant coach) – 7th place

84 kg: Enock Francois (West Point WC, Army assistant coach) – 7th place

120 kg: Nick Gwiazdowski (NYAC, Duanesburg) – 7th place

Greco

55 kg: Dmitry Riabchinsky (NYAC/USOEC, New Utrecht) – 5th place

60 kg: Jason Chudzinski (USEOC, Colonie) – 8th place

74 kg: Jon Anderson (Army WCAP, Army graduate) – 3rd place

Women’s Freestyle

51 kg: Carlene Sluberski (NYAC, Fredonia) – 3rd place

59 kg: Jenna Burkert (NYAC, Rocky Point) – 4th place

72 kg: Mary Westman (Jimmie Wrestling Club, Cattaraugus) – 6th place

Palacio Captures the Championship; Grey, Realbuto, Hudson and Dean All Place at the FILA Junior Freestyle Nationals

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Dylan Palacio captured a FILA Juniors National championship on Saturday at 74 kg (163 pounds) after collecting five victories in Las Vegas, including a three period win in the title bout against Matthew Gray of Bison Wrestling Club.

Joining him on the medal stand were three additional grapplers from the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club – Mark Grey (4th at 60 kg), Brian Realbuto (6th at 74 kg) and Gabe Dean (8th at 84 kg).

Also representing the Empire State with a medal was Blue and Gold Wrestling Club’s Jamel Hudson, who earned sixth place at 66 kg.

Palacio, Photo by BV

Palacio’s title run opened with a pair of pins before he took out returning placer Isaac Jordan of the Badger Wrestling Club 5-2, 6-1.  In the semifinals against Hawkeye Wrestling Club’s Patrick Rhoads, he dropped the opening period 3-0 but rebounded to grab the second 3-1, fueled by some early pushouts.  In the third, he fell behind again but came back to win 6-3 and punch his ticket to the finals.

In that first place contest, Palacio lost the first stanza 3-0, and gave up a takedown early in the second to fall behind.  However, the former Section 8 standout took over from there, tying it up with about 1:30 left.  He then tiptoed the line to avoid a late pushout by Gray to win the stanza 1-1 (by virtue of scoring last).

In the decisive final period, Palacio moved ahead with a takedown and tacked on two points for exposure to grab a 3-0 advantage.  Gray responded with a pushout to make it 3-1, but the Long Beach native shot a single leg and drove his opponent out of bounds to take a 4-1 lead with about 40 seconds to go.  A late takedown made the final score closer, but Palacio got his hand raised and a national title.

His future Cornell teammates Grey and Dean earned their spots on the podium the hard way, as both lost in the opening round before going on long winning streaks during the day.

In a back-and-forth match with a lot of scoring, Grey began the tournament with a loss to eventual champion Ben Whitford of Michigan. However, he bounced back with a technical fall over Jake Marr, followed by six more victories to earn his spot in the third place bout, where he was defeated by Zane Richards.  Along the way, he notched a number of impressive wins, including a 6-1, 6-0 decision over highly regarded Cory Clark of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club.

Meanwhile, Dean also faced a high placer in Round 1 – Sam Brooks of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club (4th). After that tilt, Dean captured five in a row, including four in straight periods, to get onto the medal stand at 84 kg (185 pounds).

Realbuto opened with a win over Patriot Elite’s Ryan Forrest before dropping a decision to Micah Barnes of NWTC.  The Section 1 native then went on winning streak, picking up four consecutive victories on his way to sixth place.

In 2012, both Palacio and Realbuto were New York State champions as seniors in high school.  The same was true of Jamel Hudson, who redshirted for Hofstra this year.

Hudson also stood out in Nevada on Saturday, grabbing sixth at 66 kg (145.5 pounds). The former St. Anthony’s grappler began with a technical fall before falling to eventual champion Jason Tsirtsis.  However, he went on a tear in the consolations, winning six in a row and not yielding a single point in four of those matches.

FILA Junior Freestyle Placers (Saturday)

60 kg: Mark Grey (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) – 4th

66 kg: Jamel Hudson (Blue and Gold Wrestling Club) – 6th

74 kg: Dylan Palacio (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) – 1st

74 kg: Brian Realbuto (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) – 6th

84 kg: Gabe Dean (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) – 8th

In Friday’s FILA Junior Greco competition, Columbia University had several representatives on the podium as Connor Sutton, Chris Loew and Matthew Idelson all placed in the top six.  Also making their presence felt were Cheektowoga’s Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer, who was fifth at 63 kg and former Section 4 wrestler Jessy Williams, who notched 6th.

FILA Junior Greco Placers (Friday)

60 kg: Jessy Williams (NYAC/USOEC, Windsor) – 6th Place
63 kg: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Buffalo Grapplers, Cheektowoga) – 5th Place
70 kg: Connor Sutton (NYAC Harlem, Columbia) – 4th Place
84 kg: Chris Loew (NYAC Harlem, Columbia) – 6th Place
96 kg: Matthew Idelson (NYAC Harlem, Columbia) – 5th Place

Vegas Recap for Thurs: Goldman Wins Another Title; Sluberski, Anderson and Koll Take Third

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Jason Goldman of Thorobred made it two-for-two at the Veterans Nationals in Las Vegas, winning the 58 kg freestyle title a day after grabbing the championship in the Greco competition. On Thursday, Goldman won all four of his bouts, including two pins and a technical fall. He has now been a double champion at this event for three consecutive years.

At the U.S. Open:

A number of wrestlers with connections to the Empire State participated in the third place matches at the U.S. Open on Thursday.

Former Fredonia star Carlene Sluberski earned the bronze at 51 kg in women’s action, pinning Amy Fearnside of Jimmie Wrestling Club in her final contest. Also taking third was Army graduate Jon Anderson at 74 kg in Greco Roman, while Long Island native Jenna Burkert picked up fourth at 59 kg.

Two grapplers with New York ties – Kyle Borshoff and Army assistant coach Enock Francois advanced to Friday’s freestyle action at 66 and 84kg, respectively, with their showings in the Challenge tournaments on Thursday.

Western Junior Freestyle

Koll, Photo by BV

Lansing’s two-time state champion William Koll took third at 126 pounds, racking up a 6-1 record with three technical falls. His only setback was to the eventual champion, Zahid Valencia of California, in three periods. Koll only surrendered one point in his victories and defeated Jens Lantz of Wisconsin 3-0, 1-0 for the bronze.

For full results, see http://www.trackwrestling.com

St. Anthony's to Sacred Heart: State Runner Up Johnny Vrasidas Chooses the Pioneers

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As he looked back at his high school career, Johnny Vrasidas said what was most memorable was the leap he made from his freshman to sophomore seasons for St. Anthony’s.

“I went from being a backup and sitting all season to winning my first Catholic State title,” he said. “That was huge – making so much progress. I got to go to the state tournament for the first time and winning a match there was a building block for me.”

On Thursday, Vrasidas said he was ready to become part of another building process. The standout senior committed to Sacred Heart University, a wrestling team that is looking to make a jump in its second year under head coach Andy Lausier.

“Sacred Heart is almost like a new program, really getting a new start,” he said. “Coach Lausier talked to me about what he’s trying to build and I want to be part of it. I had a great visit there and I’m happy to spend the next four years there with a really good group of recruits.”

The class assembled by Lausier has a strong New York presence. In fact, according to Intermat’s recruiting list, seven of the 11 wrestlers heading to the Connecticut school next fall are from the Empire State. That list includes several grapplers Vrasidas already knows, including his current teammate Nick Allesandrini and Shoreham Wading River’s Zak Mullen and TJ Fabian.

Photo by BV

“Having those wrestlers going was definitely a factor for me,” Vrasidas said, noting that he was also strongly considering Hofstra and American. “Knowing someone like TJ [Fabian, the NHSCA Senior Nationals champion at 126 pounds] will be in the room will be a huge motivation.”

Motivation wasn’t a problem for Vrasidas coming into his senior campaign. After finishing one win short of All-State status in 2012, he was determined to end his career with a spot on the podium.

“When I lost my last match at the state tournament as a junior, I knew I was so close,” he said. “I literally started training right away. I went to all the clubs on Long Island and wrestled some of the best kids in the state. I did some freestyle. I started lifting weights. I realized what I had to do to get to that next level. It was two or three practices a day – going to school, going to school practice, then club practice and then to the gym to lift. Some nights I didn’t get home until 11, but that’s what you have to do to become a champion.”

He was favored to win his third straight CHSAA championship – and he did that. But after a 22-14 record as an 11th grader, Vrasidas brought a 34-1 mark into Albany and although he was the eighth seed at 170 pounds, he fully expected to do far better than that.

“My expectations were that I would be a state champion,” he said. “I wrestled at clubs with some of the top guys at that weight and I knew I could compete with them. I lost in the Summer Heat tournament to Carlos Toribio in a pretty close match where I felt I made some stupid mistakes. I expected to win the whole thing.”

He started off with a 7-6 decision over Kyle McGuire of Newburgh and then was set to meet another familiar face – top seeded Danny McDevitt of Wantagh. Vrasidas said they practiced together in the offseason.

“I went into the match really focused,” he said of wrestling McDevitt. “I thought if I could just get past him, I could win it all. He was the favorite but I went in there and wrestled my match.”

He certainly did that, taking an 8-2 decision in the process of handing McDevitt his only loss of the campaign. After a pin in the semifinals over Monroe Woodbury’s AJ Voelker, Vrasidas squared off with Toribio in the title bout.

The Brentwood senior came away with a 4-3 triumph, sending Vrasidas to a state silver medal.

“I wasn’t happy, but it’s something I have to accept,” Vrasidas said. “I wish I came out on top but I didn’t wrestle the match I wanted to.”

However, the performance did put him on the medal stand for the first time in New York. And a few weeks later, he picked up another honor – on the national level.

At the NHSCA Senior Nationals in Virginia Beach, Vrasidas took eighth place at 170 pounds.

“Last year at that tournament, I was one win away from being an All-American,” he said. “So I definitely went in wanting to be an All-American this time. I was really proud to do it because I’m only the second person ever in my school to accomplish that as a senior.”

Now it’s on to a new set of goals. One is to graduate with a degree in criminal justice from Sacred Heart. But before that, he’s looking to make an impact on the mat in the EIWA, something he hopes to do at 165 or 174 pounds.

“Coach Lausier said I should be looking to wrestle right away,” he said. “Going out there as a freshman should be a great experience.”
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Johnny Vrasidas wished to thank his parents for everything they’ve done for him, including all the hours of driving and traveling. He said he “wouldn’t be where I am right now if not for them.”.

Hofstra Heavy: Undefeated State Champion Michael Hughes Commits to the Pride

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One of New York’s best will be staying in the Empire State to wrestle at the Division I level. Smithtown West senior Michael Hughes, an undefeated state champion at 285 pounds in 2012-13, informed New York Wrestling News on Wednesday that he will sign with Hofstra University this week.

“Michael is excited to be representing NYS at the next level and looking forward to wrestling at Hofstra,” the message from his family stated.

Photo by BV

After a sixth place finish at the state tournament as a junior, Hughes followed up with a spectacular final campaign for the Suffolk County school, registering a 42-0 record with 39 bonus point victories (31 falls).

It didn’t stop there for Hughes. His pin clinched the third straight dual meet victory for New York over rival New Jersey at the Pinning Down Autism Charity Challenge in March and he then earned a pivotal come-from-behind triumph over El Shaddai Van Hoesen of Columbia in the inaugural Long Island vs. Upstate Challenge. (The event ended in a tie).

A few weeks ago, Hughes capped off his career by collecting All-American honors with a second place showing at the NHSCA Senior Nationals in Virginia Beach. The Section 11 champion began the event with wins over opponents from Utah, New Jersey and Washington to make the title bout against Will Geary of Kansas.

Catching Up With Cornell's Cam Simaz as He Returns to Competition at the U.S. Open

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In his last match in a Cornell singlet, Cam Simaz defeated Edinboro’s Chris Honeycutt to capture the 2012 197-pound NCAA crown. The title capped off a stellar career for the Michigan native, who was a four-time All American and a four-time EIWA champion.

This week, Simaz will return to competition as he takes the mat at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas in freestyle. We caught up with Cam to hear more about what he’s been doing for the past year and what the future may hold.

New York Wrestling News (NYWN): You’re entered in the U.S. Open Freestyle tournament this week at 84 kg (185 pounds). I know at some point you were considering going up to 96 kg (211.5 pounds) for freestyle competition. What were the big factors in your decision?

Cam Simaz (CS): I thought I was going up. I lifted and ate and did that whole thing, but I just didn’t get that much bigger. I felt like I got pretty fat when I tipped the scales at 205, maybe at 208. It’s easy for ’84’ pounders and ’65’ pounders, who know exactly what freestyle weights they’ll go. But most of us ’97s’ are tweeners anyway. We have to make a decision. Unfortunately, for me and my diet, I felt like I had to go down to give myself the best chance to compete. I’m working on cutting weight right now. The first time it feels like a lot. But with freestyle, you weigh in the day before and then you can eat all night and all morning and then wrestle.

NYWN: You spent the last year in Ithaca, coaching at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club. How much time have you spent training in freestyle?

CS: Probably a couple of weeks. I’m a coach now and I’ve been focused on that. My priority was to get the Finger Lakes college kids ready to go for tournaments. So most of what I did was wrestling collegiate style. I have the itch to wrestle again and I’m excited to get back on the mat. But I know it will be a learning curve for me and that there will be a lot of adapting and transitioning. I hope to catch on quickly.

NYWN: So this will be your first freestyle tournament in a while. What kind of outcome will you be happy with?

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CS: It is going to be business and pleasure for me. I’m going out to wrestle myself and to coach the Finger Lakes guys, who I think will do really well.

For me, the results will be a byproduct of wrestling well. I’m guessing whatever results I get are probably what they should be at this point. This is the beginning. I plan to spend the rest of the summer wrestling freestyle and going to as many tournaments as I can. I hope I’ll get shipped around the world a little bit to compete against wrestlers from all over.

NYWN: Who have been your primary training partners?

CS: I’ve done some training with Clint Wattenberg, Damion Hahn, Duke Pickett, Steve Bosak. But I mostly wrestled with my college guys, especially [incoming Cornell freshman] Gabe Dean. I think he’s as good as I am in freestyle already.

NYWN: You mentioned Gabe Dean, who placed in a number of open tournaments this year. Other Finger Lakes wrestlers such as Mark Grey and Brian Realbuto won some events as well. What has the experience been like coaching some future Big Red wrestlers this year?

CS: It has been awesome, all the time. All of the guys are grossly talented. It’s the best recruiting class ever at Cornell without a doubt. All those guys are freaks already. My job was to not screw them up.

NYWN: Among the wrestlers you coached was your brother Taylor. What was that experience like?

CS: He’s been awesome. People always say things are better with family around and that’s definitely true. When we were growing up, my brothers were my best friends and things haven’t changed. It wasn’t hard for me to coach him because I’ve been doing it my whole life. I feel like I have a pretty critical eye, and it may be more critical when there’s blood involved. It’s been great with Taylor here.

NYWN: You spent a year at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club after high school like some of the guys you coached this year. Is the experience now different than it was for you?

CS: Definitely. It has changed so much over the years. Now there’s organization, a lifting regimen, a plan. Corey Manson and I were kind of guinea pigs. It was the two of us and we’d just wrestle each other when we had free time. We were working full time jobs and I’d just call him and ask him if he wanted to wrestle and that was about it. It was a fun experience, but things have come a long way and I think the results have shown that.

NYWN: So after freestyle this summer, what’s next for you?

CS: When I look into my Magic 8 Ball and ask about my future, it comes back pretty cloudy. I don’t really know, but whatever it is, I’m sure it will be good. I have nothing to complain about here at Cornell. I guess other than the weather sometimes. I’ve had the time of my life here and am enjoying the ride.
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Frank Perrelli will also be competing at the Freestyle U.S. Open after coaching at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (FLWC) this year. Perrelli will be at 55 kg (121.5 pounds).

Wrestling for the FLWC in the ASICS FILA Junior Nationals freestyle tournament:
Mark Grey 60 kg (132.25 pounds)
Dylan Palacio 74 kg (163)
Duke Pickett 74 kg (163)
Brian Realbuto 74 kg (163)
Taylor Simaz 74 kg (163)
Gabe Dean 84 kg (185)